November 2013: Former Gopher part of NCAA concussion lawsuit

A former University of Minnesota linebacker is one of three college players who are part of a lawsuit that was announced Tuesday against the NCAA over football-related concussions.

The plaintiffs, including two former Vanderbilt players, are asking that a court-supervised fund be created to provide medical monitoring for onetime college players. The lawsuit is similar to others recently filed against the NCAA, and the National Football League, regarding concussions.

The Gophers player, Joey Balthazor Jr., played in 29 games for the team from 2010-12. Since his graduation, Balthazor has continued to suffer from “dizziness and irritability,” the lawsuit said. In 2011, the lawsuit added, Balthazor was “blindsided” while covering a kickoff against Miami (Ohio) and “experienced foggy vision and could not recall details from the rest of the game.”